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But, the remorse-filled farmers wrote to him, allegedly confessing and offering cash in compensation for the loss of his daughter.

A village meeting was called and the police were subsequently informed.

Offering: A waterfall in the central Indian state where the attack occurred. Chhattisgarh is the tenth largest in the country and beliefs in traditional healers run deep

Superintendent Rajendra Narayan Das, of the local police, told the Sunday Times: 'They have confessed that they cut her body and offered it to the goddess to ensure a good harvest.'

He added that he had recovered the suspected murder weapon, and revealed that money was found placed by the feet and head of the body.

This indicated that a sacrifice had been offered. The men are now remanded in custody and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Mr Tati said: 'My daughter was very close to my heart. Her murder shocked us and our whole family has not got over it. I want to see these criminals rotting in jail. These men have robbed my whole family.'

Subhadra Channa, a professor of anthropology at Delhi University, said ritual sacrifice was a tradition in India's central belt but that it may now also be fuelled by attempts by big business to take land.

He said: 'The tribal people feel really threatened. They are feeling helpless in the face of a big power.'

THE GRISLY PRACTICE THAT REFUSES TO DISAPPEAR

The extent of human sacrifice and when it first emerged in India has always been fiercely debated.

Some claim first evidence of the grisly rituals emerged in 3000BC after a seal from the era was found showing a man holding a sickle over a woman seated on the ground.

While extremely rare in the 21st century such incidents still occur in areas where traditional healers and witch doctors have a hold over remote and impoverished areas.

In December of last year seven people were imprisoned in the state of Maharashtra for the human sacrifice of two children aged seven and three.

While two years ago in West Bengal the head and torso of a man was found in a temple to the goddess Kali.